8 Most Harmful Products in Schools: A Look at the Products that Regularly Injure Children at School

November 15, 2015

Although schools can be valuable places of learning for children, they may also expose kids to some risks and harm, especially when certain products are around.

Looking to identify the items that cause the most injuries to schoolchildren each year, researchers at HealthGrove recently analyzed nearly two decades of data from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). And what they found is that some of the most common items in schools often end up being sources of injuries to school kids.

Riskiest Items in Schools: The Products that Cause the Most Injuries to Kids

A look at the items in schools that cause the most injuries to children in the U.S.

Playground equipment – At least 60,000 kids are hurt on playground equipment at schools each year. While researchers discovered that girls tend to sustain more playground equipment injuries than boys, they also noted that these injuries have more than doubled since 2008.

Carpets and other flooring – Annually, nearly 27,000 children are hurt at schools as a result of accidents related to carpets, rugs and other flooring materials. Researchers also discovered that the number of these injuries has been steadily rising since an all-time low in 2011 (when just over 13,000 of these injuries were reported).

Stairs – Stair-related accidents hurt nearly 25,000 schoolchildren each year in the U.S. Interestingly, however, these injuries have been steadily declining since around 2010.

Furniture like tables and desks (but not including chairs and beds) – Close to 21,000 kids are hurt in furniture-related accidents, like falling or collapsing furniture, each year in the U.S. In fact, these injuries have been steadily on the rise in the U.S. since the all-time low in 2004, when about 9,600 of these injuries were reported.

Walls and ceilings – Nearly 17,000 children are hurt in accidents with walls and ceilings at schools each year in the U.S. Although this reflects a notable drop from the all-time high of nearly 18,000 injury reports in 2001, it still represents a marked increase from the all-time low reported in 2007 (when about 7,000 of these injuries were reported).

Doors (not including garage doors) – Just over 13,000 kids are hurt by doors at schools each year in the U.S. This has represented a substantial drop from the all-time high in 1999, when nearly 22,000 door-related injuries were reported to CPSC.

Chairs and couches – Annually, about 11,000 schoolchildren are hurt in accidents related to chairs and couches. These accidents have been steadily increasing since around 2007 when about 6,400 accident reports were filed with CPSC.

Lockers – More than 7,500 children are hurt by school lockers each year in the U.S. These injuries have been steadily increasing over the past decade, nearly doubling since 2005.

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